# All of the other reindeer were jerks. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2018, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516 "2018-12-22T03:00:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/61 "2018-12-24T19:13:34Z")
I find it hard to believe that Santa and his reindeer team had never had to deal with fog before. They travel the entire world, presumably making billions of separate takeoffs and landings, and it’s never been foggy on Christmas Eve _anywhere in the world_ before the events of “Rudolph”? Or maybe it was just that an unusual North Pole fog was preventing their initial departure that night, and otherwise they just skipped over areas of poor visibility. “Sorry, Billy, the dew point is rising. Looks like no presents for you this year.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/62 "2018-12-24T23:40:36Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Or maybe it was just that an unusual North Pole fog was preventing their initial departure that night, and otherwise they just skipped over areas of poor visibility. Early evidence of climate change! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/63 "2018-12-24T23:53:55Z")
Ever seen a corral full of beasts when it’s very cold. There’s a fog alrighty. That methane gas is a deal breaker. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/64 "2018-12-25T15:04:09Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Donner was originally Donder–German for Thunder. I think you’re correct about Blixen–German for Lightning. Unless they are regionalisms or old versions that I don’t know about, then Donner and Blitz are correct German. Blitzen is the verb. Never having seen a German listing of the reindeer by name, I don’t know what they are called over there. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/65 "2018-12-25T15:07:24Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Ever seen a corral full of beasts when it’s very cold. There’s a fog alrighty. That methane gas is a deal breaker. So reindeer are responsible for climate change? :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/66 "2018-12-25T16:57:52Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > Unless they are regionalisms or old versions that I don’t know about, then Donner and Blitz are correct German. Blitzen is the verb. Never having seen a German listing of the reindeer by name, I don’t know what they are called over there. I think I may have the answer: [Donner/Blitzen=German, Donder/Bliksem=Dutch.](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/donder_and_blitzen) So Moore messed up by combining Dutch and German. Or something. I’ve got presents to open and cookies to eat; see you next year! ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/67 "2018-12-26T01:45:19Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Excluding poor Rudolph from their reindeer games and bullying him, until the Big Guy asks him to do a favour, then they’re all falling all over themselves to suck up to Rudolph. > > Nasty little ungulates, all of them! I don’t think we know the whole story here, just the parts that want us to think a certain way. Rudolph was a designer deer, bred in a lab and supposed to be the 2.0 of deer. Financed by Big Christmas and cloned in an illegal lab in the North Pole. Medically the experiment was a failure and left Rudolph with a compromised immune system. For his own safety, he was excluded from herd activities and yes faced bigotry from several of the other herd members. Seriously, individuals whose names are more in common with exotic dancers have no excuse to be throwing stones at glass houses. The island of unwanted Toys, sure I’m sure hospital patients have their own names for long term care facilities that are not so flattering. Oh it tugs at the emotions does it not, but the real story is that Rudolph was finally given the chance to prove his worth and all we have to his memory is one, count em , one mission going downtown. The media version is that Rudolph came home to a hero’s welcome, but has not been seen since. A check with the American Dental association says whats his name was never enrolled. The island of misfit toys, shut down. Merry Christmas , the truth is out there Declan ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/68 "2018-12-26T01:50:25Z")
Lucy Van Pelt: Look, Charlie, let’s face it. We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big eastern syndicate, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/69 "2018-12-26T15:09:04Z")
Slight hijack: I heard Frosty the Snowman yesterday, and he is definitely one big jerk. He led them down the streets of town Right to the traffic cop And he only paused a moment when He heard him holler “Stop!” When a copy hollers “Stop!” you do not pause. YOU STOP!. Or does that not apply to snowmen? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/70 "2018-12-26T15:15:58Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Slight hijack: I heard Frosty the Snowman yesterday, and he is definitely one big jerk. > > He led them down the streets of town > Right to the traffic cop > And he only paused a moment when > He heard him holler “Stop!” > > When a copy hollers “Stop!” you do not pause. YOU STOP!. Or does that not apply to snowmen? I’ve always interpreted this as just him being really naive due to just being created. The police officer tells him to stop. So he does–for a second, then continues on. I can’t remember if that idea comes from a Christmas special, like the Rankin Bass version. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/71 "2018-12-26T15:21:14Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Slight hijack: I heard Frosty the Snowman yesterday, and he is definitely one big jerk. > > He led them down the streets of town > Right to the traffic cop > And he only paused a moment when > He heard him holler “Stop!” > > When a copy hollers “Stop!” you do not pause. YOU STOP!. Or does that not apply to snowmen? He was white, so not a problem. Imagine if he had been coated with coal dust. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/72 "2018-12-26T15:31:56Z")
That made me laugh! And I guess bullets don’t have much effect on snow, but what if the bullet shot off his old silk hat? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516.md?page=3)